DHE 20

BRIAN WHITAKER · 03-18-2013, 01:41 PM

hi,
my first post. be kind.
i am lookind to purchase a 20ga.28" dhe from a dealer. this gun just became available from an estate. the serial no. 220991 is not listed in any publications i have. i don't have any problem paying for the pgca letter. my issue is i don't have but a couple of days to make a decision . i believe all photos and specifications to be correct, but would feel more comfortable with documentation. any suggestions apreciated.

B. Dudley · 03-18-2013, 01:46 PM

Contact chuck bishop and ask him if there is any order book info that a letter be provided from. The serialization book is based on just the surviving stock books.

If a letter is not available, the. A very keen eye will be all you will have to go on unless you can get some photos of the gun to post up here. A DHE 20 will no doubt carry a deicent price tag, so you should thoroughly assess the gun before you buy.

BRIAN WHITAKER · 03-18-2013, 03:20 PM

Thanks a lot.

Bill Murphy · 03-18-2013, 03:20 PM

There is no order book information after 1919. You will be at the mercy of the trained eye. If it has a blank space at the end of the rib matting, a serious length of choke at the end of .615 bores, an even barrel length, and a skeleton butt at the end of an approximately 14" stock from the front trigger, it is likely to be a fairly original gun. The trained eye will determine original wood and original finish. Good luck.

Pa SxS · 03-18-2013, 03:34 PM

Brian, I checked and we have no records for your gun. I even checked the Griffin & Howe database, nothing there.

Brian and Bill gave you good advise. If you can take in focus closeups of the gun and post them here, you'll get a pretty good estimation of originality.

Good luck!

Chuck

BRIAN WHITAKER · 03-18-2013, 03:43 PM

thank you gentlemen

Fishtail · 03-18-2013, 05:53 PM

I once planned to buy a DHE 20 from Puglisi's. I ordered a letter. The letter came, the gun checked out, and I called Puglisi's. They told me the gun had sold the day before.

Bill Murphy · 03-18-2013, 06:23 PM

About the only thing in doubt that would be "mystery solved by a PGCA letter" would be barrel length or stock configuration. If barrels are cut, you send it back for a refund. Stock configuration is usually only discussed in pre 1919 gun letters. No one much fakes up Trojan through B Grades, so that isn't much of a problem either. Don't wait for a letter to buy a nice gun.